Tips to a Healthy Heart and In Home Assisted Living

Since the holiday symbolizing love falls in the month of February, why not take the time to focus on our heart in more ways than one? Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to express your love for someone you cherish; the entire month is ideal for focusing on the physical health of our hearts.

There are many steps a person can take to try to prevent heart disease. Some key lifestyle changes include quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol intake. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, so aim to limit your intake to one or two units a day. Smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to live longer. Smokers are more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. With more and more pharmacy stores banning the sale of cigarettes and restaurants no longer catering to the once popular habit; there has never been a more convenient time to quit. The moment you put out your last cigarette, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. Today is as good as any day to quit smoking and start protecting your heart.

It comes as no surprise that diet can affect the risk for heart disease. Cutting back on salt and eating healthy can increase the chance of surviving a heart attack. Too much salt leads to high blood pressure; watch out for seemingly low-salt foods like breakfast cereals and breads that may contain high levels of salt. Whenever possible, try to have a balanced diet loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, oily fish and whole grains. A healthy diet will help with managing your weight, as being overweight can greatly affect your health and increase the risk for life-threatening conditions. Small, but healthy changes to what you eat and trying to get more active can prove to be a great boost to your heart and health.

While it’s very important to make physical changes to protect our hearts, it is also beneficial to care for the emotional side as well. Stress plays a critical role in heart health. Exercise is a great start to de-stressing. Learning to see exercise as a way to de-stress and feel better will make it seem like less of a chore. Workouts like Yoga and Pilates are especially good for relaxing and improving mind-body connection. If you find that meeting up with a friend for coffee or taking a painting class would be an efficient way to de-stress, aim to make that a part of your regular schedule. It’s important to take care of our hearts both physically and emotionally.

If you would like to learn more about caring and consistent in home assisted living and the many benefits of professional senior care or dementia and Alzheimer’s care, call Senior Helpers of Franklin to speak to a senior care specialist today 615-591-7007! The compassionate senior care specialists at Senior Helpers can also guide you through the process of receiving the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Benefit if your elderly loved one is a veteran. In home senior care allows your loved one to stay in the comforts of their own home for as long as possible while receiving the level of care they need. Senior Helpers of Franklin provides a wide range of services including Alzheimer’s and dementia care, personal assistance, companionship, and so much more to all areas of Franklin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.